A FIRE chief has hit out after his brigade was prosecuted over the death of a hero firefighter.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's M.E.N., the Greater Manchester Fire and Civil Defence Authority was cleared by a jury of breaching safety regulations in relation to the drowning of Sub Officer Paul Metcalf. The prosecution was called for by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Mr Metcalf, 40, died as he tried to save a teenager who disappeared in a lake. The boy also drowned.

Mr Metcalf had waded into the water wearing just a rope around his waist, and had no specialist equipment. He was also unaware that Reyaz Ali, 15, had been under water for 30 minutes and was already dead.

Mr Metcalf got into difficulty when his line became snagged on an underwater branch.

Today (Saturday), County Fire Officer Barry Dixon launched a scathing attack on the HSE and said he would be seeking an urgent meeting with them to discuss the implications of the case.

He said that in his opinion the prosecution was a waste of public money and added: "I don't think the HSE understands the specific problems which are faced by the emergency services of Great Britain.

"They seem to see the fire service as no different from someone that runs the corner shop. Yet we have situations where we have to respond to an emergency at 3am and our young men and women have to make life or death decisions.

"The HSE have to be realigned with the real world.

"Who is best placed to decide whether or not to attempt a rescue in the very few seconds we have? A rule book as the HSE want, or a highly-trained, skilled and experienced firefighter, used to making swift decisions in unpredictable, emergency situations.

"When a mother, relative or other bystander is at the side of a river bank, screaming for the emergency services to do something, do we really expect crews to consult the rule book while precious seconds tick away?

"Our methods and training saved on average 1,000 lives a year without putting firefighters' lives at risk. A fire service driven by a rule book will cost lives."

Mr Dixon said that every chief fire officer in the country was watching the outcome of the case.

"The HSE expect specific and detailed procedures in place for every conceivable emergency. With the ever-increasing threats we face, particularly from terrorism, this is impossible.

"The government are seeking to make it a statutory duty for the fire service to cover chemical, biological and radiological incidents and to respond to search and rescue incidents, including flooding on a large scale.

"The government has also said that it will not cost any more money - I believe that to be fundamentally flawed."

'Flawed'

Mr Metcalf, based at Ramsbottom station, died on September 5, 1999, as he tried to rescue Reyaz from Simons Lodge at Hawkshaw, near Bury.

Two years before his death a detailed report by a senior fire officer had recommended that new equipment including floating lines, life jackets and harnesses, should be supplied to firemen dealing with water rescues, but no action was taken.

The brigade finally introduced a water rescue policy in November 1999, two months after Mr Metcalf's death, when an improvement notice was served on them by the HSE.

Janet Wilson, head of operations for the HSE in the north west, said the prosecution was justified and added: "If it saves the life of one more fireman, it was worth bringing."